


Processing

by unwindmyself



Series: curious shapes shift in the dark [97]
Category: True Blood
Genre: Aftermath, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, F/F, Femslash, Fix-It, Reflection, agency and choices!
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-08-15
Updated: 2015-08-15
Packaged: 2018-04-14 19:40:41
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,140
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4577370
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/unwindmyself/pseuds/unwindmyself
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Different pairs reflecting on the night's revelations.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Processing

**Author's Note:**

> Part five, "Ticker Don't Tock."

“Okay,” says Braelyn, wandering into Willa’s bedroom and flopping down on the bed.  “Maybe you can explain it to me.”

“Explain what?” Willa asks.

“What’s the big deal about gettin’ married?” Braelyn clarifies. “Like, or I guess I get why Luna’s excited, because havin’ a public dibsing ceremony seems kinda fun, like, look, world, this one’s mine an’ I’m theirs, but like… okay, I guess I get gettin’ married.  Just not so much weddings?”

“How’s that?”

“Well, once Luna shared the news or whatever, everyone whose mind I could read who wasn’t one of my sisters kinda got all giddy about it,” Braelyn says.  “Dresses and receptions and honeymoons and, like, Nicole was thinking to herself, she was thinking _I feel like such a cliché_ , but she was still getting kinda into it wondering?”

Willa frowns, coming to rest her head against Braelyn’s shoulder.  “I think it’s sort of one of those things you grow up with,” she says.  “The idea that your wedding is going to be your one special day, your fairytale come to life, where you get to have all this control over all the froufrou details you’ve always dreamed of.”

“Huh,” Braelyn mumbles, wrinkling her nose.

“So when your friend is getting married, you’re excited kinda… secondhand, I guess,” Willa continues.

“That’s nice,” Braelyn says.  “But it’s also kinda dumb, I feel like.”

“Well, as a cynical, immortal, bisexual child of divorce I’m not really the one to ask about that,” Willa chuckles.

“I just mean like, why do you only get one day?” Braelyn presses.  “Why don’t you get to have big I love you parties and feel like the center of attention whenever the fuck you feel like it?  Why can’t you have a fairytale all the time if you want?”

“I get to,” Willa chirps, tilting her head to kiss Braelyn.

 

* * *

 

“Well that was all warm and fuzzy,” Pam drawls as she starts taking her jewelry off in front of the mirror.

“You don’t have to be such an ass about it,” Tara rolls her eyes.

“I’m not bein’ an ass,” Pam retorts.  “Excuse me if I don’t really have the best grasp on how to handle fluffy people stuff.  It’s been a while since I’ve had to, and mine was not exactly a life of domestic bliss.”

Tara huffs.  “Mine either,” she points out.  “It ever occur to you that’s why it’s nice seein’ things come together right?  I mean, fuck knows I coulda used kindly strangers swooping in to report my abusive asshole mom to the cops.  Not like most of the cops in Bon Temps didn’t know my mom was an asshole, but nobody ever called ‘em to do anything about it, so nobody ever did.”

“Couldn’t you have called?” Pam asks, suddenly softer.

“There comes a point after enough of that shit that you don’t think about it anymore,” Tara shrugs.  “You just think, oh, this is normal.  And you go along with it.  Maybe even think you deserve it.”

Pam doesn’t say anything, but she comes to sit beside Tara, unusually tender.

“Point is, that’s why I’m happy about Eden Hamby,” Tara continues.  “Jess got outta that shit when she turned, and okay, it just wound her up in a different kinda shit, but she had the means to fix it this time and she did.  And now she’s usin’ those means to help her sister, ‘cause she goddamn can, and I think that’s awesome and it speaks really well of her.”

It takes a moment for Pam to find the words, oddly sentimental as she knows they are, but when she does what she says is, “The more you hint about your human life at me, the more I wanna track down everyone that ever fucked you up and rip their throats out.”

“That’s a pretty long list,” Tara teases, because that’s easier than addressing the seriousness of it.

“I mean it,” Pam says.  “Only consolation is, if they hadn’t fucked you up maybe you wouldn’t have been in Sookie’s kitchen that night to get shot in her stead, and maybe I wouldn’t have had to turn you.  And, you know, as progeny go you’re pretty much the best option.”

“Love you too,” Tara smiles, and she leans against Pam’s shoulder.

“You know, of course, that if anyone else ever gets word of any of this sappy shit, you’re in for it,” Pam smirks.  She falls backward against the bed, pulling Tara with her so they’re lying there side by side.

“I don’t think any so-called form of me bein’ in for it is gonna be much to worry about if you’re the one seein’ to it that I get that elusive _it_ ,” Tara counters, wrapping a leg over Pam’s hips.

“It’s a damn good thing I find it cute when you’re a total brat,” Pam says, and she rolls Tara onto her back to kiss with the intention of making out.

 

* * *

 

It kind of came as a surprise how weird the bed felt without Eric in it, too.  He’s only been gone a few nights, so far, but he’s got a way of taking up space that’s really comforting in its way.  Plus, it’s not like Jessica is really used to sharing a bed at all, having someone to cuddle on all night - even Hoyt, when they were living together, had kept his own room upstairs, and she’d visited for sex, of course, but then she’d always had to go downstairs to hide out in her coffin like an asshole when the sun started to rise.

But this is a house for vampires, not a house for low-income fiancees (that’s what they’d been, in all but the ring on Jessica’s finger, and not a night goes by she isn’t glad she managed to escape that), so they can snuggle in bed and never have to worry about any light-tightness.  And on top of that, they’re actually all on the same schedule.

Of course, there’s Nora here, too, so it’s not _too_ empty.

They’re already undressed and in bed when Nora says, “I’m proud of you.”

Jessica smiles soft, rests a hand on Nora’s waist. “Thank you,” she says.  “I just wanted to do whatever I could, y’know?”

“I do,” Nora agrees.  “And that’s why I’m proud.  Because I know how important it is, this seemingly small thing.  You and I were both saved by turning, but that’s not the only way or the most practical.  And you found one of the other ways, and you utilized it, and that’s wonderful.”

“We all sorted it out together,” Jessica demurs.  “But it… it feels right.  I feel good about it.  Nic asked again afterward, did I wanna see her.  Eden.  But I’m not sure I’m supposed to, you know?”

Nora nods.  “Well, whatever you decide, dearest, I’m here.”


End file.
